Silver Lakes man lands Wal-Mart deal with toy bike

HELENDALE • Years after he created a riding toy for his young son, a local inventor got an offer from the largest retailer in the country to prepare thousands of toys for distribution this summer.

Ron Milfeld, 45, of Silver Lakes, said Wal-Mart has asked him to produce 100,000 units of his Rocking Motocross Bike within the next four months.

"My son, Blake, wanted me to make him one about four years ago," said Milfeld, who works for General Electric as a turbine mechanic and is also CEO of Upland-based Little Field Toy Co. Inc. "It's taken a lot of work and time to get it from concept to production. ... After our first shipment, Wal-Mart wants 100,000 more every 30 days. Wal-Mart wants these toys in all of their stores around the world."

Wal-Mart operates more than 10,000 stores across the world.

Milfeld said he's just about ready to begin assembly of the new toy, which closely resembles the old-fashioned, spring rocking horse that arrived on the scene in the late 1940s.

Like the horse, the bike is attached to a tubular frame that provides stability and prevents the bike from toppling or tipping over while the child is in the seat.

The process to assemble each toy for shipping includes purchasing and cutting the steel and wood parts, labeling, powder coating and packaging the parts for pickup by Wal-Mart. The process will involve crews located in Ontario and the High Desert.

"Some of the process for the first run involves 77 miles of steel pipe, 12 million screws, 1.6 million stickers and 400,000 handle grips," Milfeld said. "And the best part is that it's all U.S. made."

After he built the prototype, Milfeld said he tried to sell his idea to 267 potential buyers before Wal-Mart jumped at the idea. Milfeld said getting the safety certifications on the bike was probably his biggest hurdle.

"Different companies wanted different safety certifications, such as the amount of chemicals used in the stickers that go on the bike," Milfeld said. "We went through $1.7 million in about four years in research and patents. It's been a long journey, but my wife, Kellee, and my daughters, Linzie and Kallee, have been a rock to me."

Almost 25 years ago, Milfeld's father flexed his inventive muscles by joining a group of inventors and adventurers to launch a $7,000 liquid-fueled, 16-foot, stainless-steel-and-aluminum rocket 20 miles into the sky.

Milfeld's father's group included a UPS mail sorter, five aerospace experts and five other rocket enthusiasts with expertise ranging from computer programming to metal work.

"I learned it all from my dad, who had a team just like me," Milfeld said, acknowledging his investment team of Vince Piccolla, Patty Wisher, Neil Finder, Johnny Bean, Lori Hernandez and Chris and Kim Campbell.

"Without them, we'd be grounded," Milfeld said.

Milfeld said his team of investors will soon taste the fruits of their investment.

"During this process, there were times when we almost threw in the towel, but we kept thinking about the bike and the end result," Milfeld said. "But with God and a lot of prayer, we stuck with our dream."

Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227, RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com or on Twitter@renegadereports.

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